tank: moe, smith prove valuable assets ... for carney and liberals
3 minute read
premier of saskatchewan scott moe announces retaliatory measures in light of us tariffs inside the saskatchewan legislative building on march 5 in regina.
kayle neis
/
regina leader-post
maybe saskatchewan premier scott moe really wants the federal liberals to get re-elected.
his entire identity since he became premier seven years ago in february has been built on conflict with ottawa, particularly when it comes to any measure intended to fight climate change.
and anyone who expected moe to join the united team canada approach to help face down the existential threat of an unprovoked american trade war had those hopes dashed last week.
after briefly signalling a change in tone by criticizing — finally — u.s. president donald trump over his overtures to normalize relations with russian tyrant vladimir putin, saying mildly “the president has gone too far,” moe reverted to form.
while many are questioning alberta premier danielle smith‘s patriotism and some are even labelling her a traitor for pandering to far-right american media, moe made clear his loyalty lies with his fellow conservative prairie premier.
moe praised smith thursday as “one of the strongest advocates we have in canada right now.” that same day, smith appeared at a fundraiser for a right-wing organization that also featured controversial podcaster ben shapiro, who has called canada a “silly country” and has joked about its annexation by the u.s.
moe and smith have made little secret of their support for conservative leader pierre poilievre, even as the departure of unpopular former liberal prime minister justin trudeau, the election of trump and the rise of mark carney as liberal leader have drastically reshaped the federal election campaign.
this election once looked like poilievre’s to lose; now polls consistently show carney’s liberals leading and possibly positioned to win a majority government in an unprecedented political turnaround.
but no provincial government, perhaps in canadian history, has aligned itself more closely to a federal party than moe’s saskatchewan party has with poilievre’s conservatives.
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politicians usually stick to their own jurisdiction to avoid alienating a potential government with which they may need to work. none of that has ever mattered to moe, who relies on vilifying the federal government like oxygen.
but you can draw a direct link between the actions and words of moe and smith and the rise of carney in popularity. their my-province-first ideology at a time when canadians value bonding together weighs like an anchor on poilievre, who needs seats in ontario, quebec and british columbia to win an election.
plus, at a time when trump has become public enemy no. 1 in canada, moe, smith and poilievre all harbour maga elements and outright trump supporters in their parties. so the more you hear from moe and smith and their soft-on-trump strategies, the greater the burden becomes for poilievre.
a fossil fuels champion like moe should be welcoming a canadian liberal leader like carney, who has committed to cancel the consumer carbon tax — which moe has opposed with a religious fervour — and has signalled a quicker approach to approving energy infrastructure.
instead, moe seems mired in the pit of partisanship he has dug for himself. he held a bizarre news conference last week to announce he was pausing collection of the industrial carbon tax his government has been quietly collecting, apparently a clumsy way to insert himself into the federal campaign.
that notice came a week after his government introduced a budget that included $431.5 million in revenue from the industrial carbon tax.
in a descent into surrealism, if not outright contempt for saskatchewan residents, moe suggested a budget already crippled in credibility for an implausible surplus will remain balanced despite the gaping revenue crater.
on friday, moe jetted off to europe on a trade mission, two weeks after he criticized carney for embarking on a similar european trek as his first international trip after he won the liberal leadership and became prime minister.
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moe’s trade mission is scheduled to last until thursday.
poilievre might quietly hope moe extends his european stay or uses the time away to reflect on how much he’s helping carney and his campaign.
phil tank is the digital opinion editor at the saskatoon starphoenix.
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